In solar cells, tunnel layers serve to form efficient contacts, what are termed tunnel contacts. Tunnel layers are formed from very thin dielectric layers. For this reason, they are very sensitive to certain process steps.
By way of example, DE 10 2008 055 028 A1 describes a solar cell having a semiconductor layer with a first doping, an inducing layer arranged on the semiconductor layer, and an inversion layer or accumulation layer induced, on account of the inducing layer, beneath the inducing layer in the semiconductor layer. The inducing layer acts partially, i.e. in certain regions, locally or entirely as a tunnel layer. There is furthermore a need to improve the efficiency of the solar cell and to make the solar cell manufacturing method more cost-effective.